


Legitimacy

by silverware_and_glasses



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Action/Adventure, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, M/M, Other, Rare Pairings, Relationship(s), Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Team Up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-06-26 19:31:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15669828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverware_and_glasses/pseuds/silverware_and_glasses
Summary: After his failures during the Campania incident, Ronald Knox is sent to investigate Sebastian’s involvement in a string of murders across London. He soon discovers that Sebastian and his master are also investigating the case, oblivious to Sebastian’s involvement. The two parties team up to discover the truth behind the murders.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This doesn’t fit anywhere in the canon timeline, but it's supposed to be set after the Weston arc and before the Green Witch arc. If you can suspend your belief and just pretend that 1889 had a secret extra month between July and August that would be ideal. Pretend it’s Smarch.

“Knox.”

Ronald Knox jolted into reality and frantically scanned the room for the voice that wrenched him from his stupor. He hadn’t been sleeping- not really- but it was hard to resist the temptation when his waking life promised nothing but paperwork. The poor reaper desperately needed to get back onto the field, but alas, those days were over.

Ronald’s previous fieldwork assignment had ended in a disastrous failure when not only had he failed to execute an interfering demon but he'd also failed to apprehend a deserter who had repeatedly tampered with souls. He had been stuck at his desk ever since, accompanied only by the thousand souls collected that night and all their thousands of pages of corresponding paperwork. Meanwhile, the rest of the world still talked about the Campania incident with glistening eyes, as though it were a beautiful yet tragic blip on the history of mankind. It was a tragedy all right; a tragedy that it landed him in paperwork hell.

Therefore, it was no wonder that after months of monotony Ronald had drifted off mid-shift. The ink of his pen had begun to pool at the nib and as he jerked awake it flicked onto the paper, blotting his hard work. This went unnoticed by Ronald, whose attention had been drawn to the last person he ever wanted to catch him sleeping on the job.

“I wasn’t sleeping,” Ronald said quickly.

“I should hope not,” William T. Spears sniffed. “I have an assignment for you.”

“Fieldwork?”

“An investigation.”

Ronald threw up his arms and spun in his chair while William watched the display with ill-disguised contempt. Ignoring this, he dropped a hefty looking case file on Ronald’s desk, sobering him immediately. Ronald scooted his chair back to its proper position and opened the file, scanning the project’s dates.

“Isn’t this a little long for an investigation?”

“I don't want any mistakes,” William said stiffly, “Not considering who you’ll be dealing with.”

“Who I’ll be…” Ronald turned the page and the meaning of William’s words drove into him like a scythe. “Again?”

“If you’d prefer I can have you transfer to Administration permanently.”

“No I’ll do it,” Ronald said, “but are you sure you want me? Sutcliff would kill for this case.”

“That’s precisely why I don’t want Sutcliff. I can trust you not to take part in unnecessary fraternisation with the demon.”

Ronald pursed his lips and turned back to the file. It would be a long investigation. That much was certain. And the case was difficult enough to investigate, even without the involvement of the demon. It would be a hands-on job; he couldn't allow himself to grow complacent. Although the bulk of the murders had already taken place it seemed a number of related cases were scheduled to spring up in the future. With a twinge Ronald couldn’t help but think about how many overtime hours he was about to accrue.

“When do you want me to start?” Ronald asked.

“As soon as you can.”

“And this?” Ronald gestured to the remainder of the paperwork still lying stagnant on his desk.

“I’ll have Sutcliff finish it.”

Heart filled with giddiness, Ronald leapt to his feet. Immediately William’s hand came down on his shoulder. Caught off guard he flinched under the touch but William merely leaned in so that no one around could hear his next words.

“Do not ruin this case Knox. This is your chance of redemption. Understand?”

Ronald pulled away and winked, “You can count on me.”

He gave his full reassurance to William and fled the office before he could change his mind. Finally leaving the office left Ronald with an excitement for his work he had long since missed. Nothing could suppress his joy now, not the prospect of so much overtime nor the difficulty of the task ahead. He was finally free.

 

* * *

His excitement was short lived.

As soon as Ronald arrived at the Phantomhive Manor he realised he had no plan whatsoever. He couldn’t go undercover, not on private property, and the presence of the demon prevented him from masking his presence and simply sneaking into the house. Had they been in the city he could have perched on a roof above an open window to garner a grasp of what was happening, but the Manor stood freely in a sparse, albeit well kept, garden that didn’t exactly offer many opportunities for Ronald to hide. He was at a loss.

However, after a morning of pacing the perimeter of the grounds and cursing, Ronald’s luck returned to him. It was a glorious day; the sun shone upon the manor yet the air was cool, compelling even the most reclusive to make the most of the weather. From his perch close to the main gates Ronald watched the child earl Ciel Phantomhive emerge from his abode to take his tea in the shade of a well-groomed tree. Well, it wasn’t Ciel Phantomhive exactly, but that was the name the boy was using and since it didn’t matter to Ronald he figured he’d respect that decision. The demon- Sebastian as he liked to be called these days- stood inhumanly still behind him.

“…letter…Baron…murdered…”

From his distance Ronald could only gather snatches of the conversation. The few words that reached him could have been torn straight from his own case file but he couldn’t hear any of the details. This wouldn’t do. If Ronald wanted to prove to William that he could do this job properly then he had to listen to this conversation. He had to get closer.

The tree beside Ciel was easily the most advantageous perch available but Ronald had to somehow reach it without the demon spotting him. He waited several minutes before Sebastian’s attention was drawn elsewhere long enough for him to act. It arrived when Sebastian reached into this coat and pulled out a newspaper that Ronald knew was far too large to have actually fit inside that immaculate tailcoat. However, he didn’t have long to contemplate the demon’s vain display of magic. In the seconds it took for Sebastian to smooth the paper in front of Ciel, Ronald vanished from his position and appeared seamlessly in the branches of the tree.

Sebastian’s head snapped upwards at the slight rustle of leaves in the still air. Ronald held his breath and watched the pair of red eyes sweep the yard, never looking up. He hardly dared to move until Sebastian’s expression relaxed and his attention returned to the paper before him.

“What is it?” Ciel asked with sharp arrogance ill befitting his age.

“Nothing My Lord. My mistake.”

Finally Ronald allowed himself the luxury of breath. He still hardly moved, aware that he might attract Sebastian’s attention at any moment, but it boded well that he hadn't yet been noticed. Now there was little else to do other than simply listen.

“If she isn’t a noble how do you know her death is related?” Ciel tapped the paper in front of him impatiently.

“I don’t, My Lord.” Sebastian admitted, “However, it would be prudent to investigate all possibilities would it not?”

Ciel clicked his tongue impatiently, “Alright. Look into it. Scotland Yard might have picked up some links.”

“And if they are related?”

“If you’re right we’ll deal with the matter then.” Ciel groaned loudly and stretched, leaning back so far in his seat Ronald feared he might topple over. He didn’t, thankfully, but Ronald soon had more pressing concerns. Mid-stretch, Ciel opened his eyes. At first Ronald didn’t think on it. He knew he had masked his presence beyond human recognition. Yet, as he thought this he looked down into that piercing blue eye and felt the summer air turn to a wintery chill around him.

Ciel stared right at him.

“Sebastian,” Ciel said, voice cautious. His gaze was frozen rigid upon Ronald, who felt the same way. Surely not. Surely he had simply seen the rustle of the leaves or the unnatural bow of the branch. In any case the demon hadn't noticed him yet. He watched his master with an expression of mild curiosity but made no effort to investigate what Ciel was looking at. No, Ronald had not been spotted. He could still salvage the situation. As long as he moved now before the he wouldn’t be seen.

But he waited too long.

“Sebastian get him!”

It happened too quickly for Ronald to keep track of. At Ciel’s words Ronald leapt from the tree but by the time he reacted the demon had already moved. Ronald cried out as he was wrenched from the air and slammed head first into the ground. He tried to stand but something firm pressed into his back. Grunting, Ronald twisted to glimpse Sebastian’s foot digging into his back, the demon relishing in his struggle. A footfall close to Ronald’s ear wrenched his attention away and to the looming shadow of the child Earl.

“What are you doing here?” The mask of the Queen’s Watchdog had returned to Ciel’s face. No traces of the fear that overcame him seconds ago remained on his features. When Ronald didn’t reply Ciel drove the heel of his boot into the top of Ronald’s head, forcing his face into the ground.

“That’s classified,” Ronald tried to say, but with a mouthful of grass it was impossible to make the words sound like anything more than garbled nonsense. Ciel realised the issue and removed his foot. Ronald looked up in time to see Ciel signal something to the demon. There was no time to wonder what this signal meant. The demon’s hand curled in Ronald’s hair and tore his face away from the ground. Neck bent at an uncomfortable angle and eyes watering from the pain searing across his scalp, Ronald tried to stare back at his child adversary with as much dignity as he could possibly muster. He repeated his previous words, clearer now that his mouth was free. Ciel’s lips curled into a smile, which– according to everything Ronald had heard about the little earl- was possibly the worst thing he could have done.

“Do you realise the situation you’re in?” Ciel crouched down so that he stared directly into Ronald’s eyes. “Answer my questions.”

Ronald said nothing.

“Who is going to die?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Sebastian.” At the child’s command Sebastian’s spare hand slid to Ronald’s waist. His fingers glided with frightening accuracy, reaching into his pocket to remove the blade concealed there. A familiar click sounded close to his ear and a biting coolness pressed into his throat.

Ronald felt the demon’s breath before he heard him speak. “You marred my face with this once before. Perhaps its time for me to return the favour.”

“Do you think you can kill me with that?” Ronald forced a laugh. He wished his heart would stop beating so loudly.

“Of course not,” the demon purred, “But that’s not to say I can’t have a fun trying.”

Ronald glanced at Ciel, hoping somehow the child might provide him some degree of mercy. He watched Sebastian with contempt, but made no attempt to prevent the unfolding torture. There would be no salvation from him.

“Just clean up when you’re done,” Ciel said blandly, straightening up.

“Yes My Lord.” There was an increased pressure at Ronald’s throat. He could feel the beading blood pushing against his own knife.

No no no no no. He was not about to let himself get tortured to avoid a suspension. The reaper society’s secrets were important to the bigwigs, but to Ronald they were nothing. Certainly keeping them wasn’t worth being tortured over. Sutcliff might take pleasure in this sort of thing but Ronald would rather get as far away as he could as quickly as he could, and damn the consequences.

“Wait! Stop! Call him off. No one’s about to die.”

Ciel stopped mid turn and returned his gaze to Ronald, and he could have sworn he saw relief swirling in that one uncovered eye. He nodded to Sebastian who removed the knife, albeit reluctantly. A single bead of blood dropped to the grass. Ronald let himself breathe at last.

“Why are you here?” Ciel repeated.

“I’m investiga- can’t you get your demon off me?”

“Not until you’ve finished talking,” Ciel said coolly. Ronald couldn’t see Sebastian, but he was sure the bastard was grinning.

Reluctantly, Ronald continued. “There’s been a string of murders in and around London: Shelly Byron, Adrian Pratchett, Greggory Phillips among others. All of them are connected to you. They sent me here to figure out why.”

“Connected to me?”

“By extension.” Ronald tried to jerk his head towards Sebastian but a ripple of pain seared through his scalp from where Sebastian held his hair. “But I meant him.”

Ciel’s eyes flickered to Sebastian’s. Ronald hoped he never found himself on the receiving end of that stare. It was like an icicle in the way it sliced through the air, burning with an icy fury. “When did you plan on telling me this Sebastian?”

“I confess I was never aware myself.” The demon’s confusion was palpable. So he didn’t know, Ronald suspected as much. Still, he was glad to confirm the fact.

“He isn’t lying is he?”

“It appears not, My Lord.”

Ciel tutted and crossed his arms, thinking. “Your name’s Knox, isn’t it?”

Ronald whistled. “Good memory.”

Ciel almost smiled. “Well Mister Knox. It appears we share a mutual interest. As it happens we're investigating the same case.” Ronald already knew this but Ciel’s tone made it sound like the revelation was supposed to be a surprise, so he kept quiet. Ciel stared down at him for so long Ronald was sure he was trying to penetrate his mind. Finally, he said, “Why don’t we cooperate.”

“What?”

“Young Mas-”

Ciel put up a hand to hush Sebastian’s protest but kept his uncovered eye fixed on Ronald. “We’re both investigating the same case aren’t we? If we collaborate we’ll all be better off.”

“I can’t share the contents of my list,” Ronald said bluntly.

“Nor do I expect you to,” Ciel smiled a smile ill befitting his innocent appearance, “I’m only interested in those who have already died. Tell me what you know of what’s already transpired and in return I’ll allow you to carry out your job unhindered. You may have a room in the manor and you may remain with us so long as you continue to help me shed light on this case. Won’t that be so much nicer than lurking in the trees?”

Ronald had to admit the offer was tempting. He had planned to stay the duration of the case in a nearby inn. However, with a room at the manor Ronald would be able to stay longer hours and the bed would undoubtedly be more comfortable. And this way he wouldn’t have to skulk around like an intruder. Aside from William’s wrath there really wasn’t a downside. Besides, there was something incredibly appealing about forcing Sebastian to serve him, if simply because the demon would loathe every second of it.

“Alright,” Ronald said, “Deal. Now call off your dog.”

Ciel smiled thinly and waved to Sebastian. At once the butler released his grip on Ronald’s hair and the pressure on his back vanished. Ronald climbed to his feet, ruffling his hair to return it to its usual shape.

“Sebastian why don’t you fetch another seat for our guest?”

Sebastian looked like he would rather dig a hole for Ronald to lie in, but obeyed none the less. In a flash he vanished. Ciel made no indication that this was at all out of the ordinary. He returned to the only seat and leaned back, crossing his legs. Some host. There was no question where he thought the power lay in their relationship.

When Sebastian finally returned with another seat for him Ronald couldn’t help but notice it was slightly shorter than Ciel’s, with a slight tilt to one side. Fine. If the child was going to play these sorts of power games with him then so be it. Ultimately Ciel needed Ronald more than Ronald needed Ciel and they both knew it. He could seat Ronald on a rickety old chair all he liked, but ultimately Ronald was never going to give him all the information he wanted. The thought brought a smile to Ronald’s lips.

“Alright Earl,” Ronald started, crossing his arms on the table in front of him. “Tell me everything you know so far.”


	2. Chapter Two

When Ciel lay out the details of the case it turned out to be rather more straightforward than Ronald’s bulging file suggested. Over the past several months three unexpected deaths had taken place among the heads of lesser noble families. Each suffered wounds consistent with a stabbing to their abdomen and each were found rearranged in such a way that looked as though they had simply ceased to live during their daily routine. The three were consistent with Ronald’s records, although his records stretched beyond the present date and numbered far more than three. This he decided to keep to himself, at least until the necessary moment arose.

“You said the deaths were all connected with Sebastian – how?”

Ronald hesitated. He wasn’t sharing the future contents of his list, but the rules surrounding past murders were ambiguous at best. Especially when he was sharing the details with a demon. But all things considered, Ronald didn’t exactly have a choice but to share everything. If he was suspended for protecting his neck then so be it.

“Your records show each of the victims were rearranged to look natural, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Well,” Ronald flicked through his ledger, searching for the correct page, careful not let anything spill forth that could not yet be revealed. “This is what the crime scenes have looked like when we found them. This is a photograph captured by one of our team after Pratchett’s death in the same nature.” Ronald tore the page from the folio and slid it across the table. The colour seeped from Ciel’s face. 

“Look familiar?” 

Ciel dragged it closer, his eyes glued to the image. “That’s Sebastian’s summoning circle,” he said quietly.

Sebastian peered over his master’s shoulder at the page. “It isn’t,” he said simply, and pressed his finger to the image. “The bottom stroke here is too long,” His finger glided to the other side of the image, “and this one is backwards.”

“That’s what our analysts said too,” Ronald said, pulling the file out of Sebastian’s grip before the demon tarnished it any further, “but the same circle was found at all three of the murders. Each one has different mistakes. Looks like someone is trying to contact you,” Ronald winked at Sebastian but the demon refused to meet his eye.

“They obviously aren’t doing a very good job of it.”

“Aren’t you being a little pedantic?” Ciel snapped.

Sebastian shrugged, his hands splayed. It was too dramatic a motion to look natural. Something about it made Ronald furrow his eyes in annoyance. “A telephone operator cannot get through if a digit in the number is wrong. A summoning circle works under the same principle. He wrote the wrong symbol, I was not contacted.”

“Would you have gone even if it had been correct?” Ciel asked without looking at his butler.

Sebastian put his hand to his chin and cocked his head as he thought through the situation. “I should think so. You ordered me against undertaking another contract, but I would never turn down a free meal.”

The thought made Ronald shudder. He knew he was dealing with a noxious beast but he never thought he’d be so brazen about his abhorrent tastes. As if he could read Ronald’s thoughts, Sebastian glanced over at the reaper and- upon noticing Ronald’s disgust- smiled at him. His teeth were sharp, his eyes cold. Ronald had to resist the urge to flee from the spot and be sick. 

Ciel cleared his throat, relieving Ronald of that predatory expression Sebastian fixed on him. “I suppose you know the name of the murderer, don’t you.”

Ronald hesitated before saying, “That’s classified.”

“Is whether you know classified, or is their name classified?”

Ronald hesitated again, but this time Sebastian interjected. “My Lord, the reapers have access to the memories of the victims. If Knox doesn’t already know he can learn at any time.”

“Is he able to tell us?” 

The fact they talked about him like he wasn’t in the room had Ronald folding his arms and tapping his foot in frustration. “I can’t give you that sort of information. Anything pertaining to the information on the lists is confidential.” 

Sebastian smiled at Ronald again. “Would you like me to get it out of him, My Lord?” 

Ciel looked tempted. Ronald wondered how long exactly he would have to flee to his own realm before Sebastian caught him if the issue arose. Thankfully, Ciel shook his head. 

“No. What he can tell us is more than enough. We can work with this for now.” Ronald hated that ‘for now’ but said nothing. Sebastian’s predatory stare still didn’t relent, and Ronald made a mental note not to trust anything the demon said or did in the near future. Especially not if he started asking prying questions. 

Ciel yawned and leaned back in his chair as he had earlier. “Alright. That’s enough for today. Sebastian, I want you to look into Sarah Kristoff. If she is related as you suspect it will impact on the killer’s motive.” Sarah Kristoff was, in fact, related to the case. Ronald was fairly certain he would be able to tell them such as well, but he decided he’d rather make the demon do the manual labour unless Ciel asked him for the information explicitly. 

“And what of our guest, My Lord?”

“Put him up in one of the spare rooms. He can stay with us as long as he’s useful.”

He didn’t specify what would happen when he overstayed his welcome. Ronald hoped he’d be able to stay long enough that his own investigation wouldn’t be affected. He’d just have to come up with new snatches of information, prod him in the direction of the right evidence. Just so long as he didn’t compromise the list to the demon and he got his investigation done it really didn’t matter. Well, and so long as William didn’t find out. He suspected William wouldn’t be too happy with these methods.

Sebastian stared long and hard at Ronald, as if expecting he would turn on them at any moment. Ronald fidgeted and pretended he hadn’t noticed. Finally he took a step backwards and gestured to the door. 

“Very well. Mister Knox, if you’ll allow me, I’ll show you to your room.” 

Ronald was reluctant to follow, but realised he had no choice. He stood to follow the demon, passing a fleeting glance back to the child lord he was leaving behind. Ciel flashed Ronald a smile, one that had no happiness lurking behind the eyes. 

“I’ll see you at dinner,” he said. 

“Right,” Ronald pointed at the boy, “see you then,” he said, and followed Sebastian from the room.


	3. Chapter Three

Dinner was astounding, not that Ronald expected anything less. He’d heard Sutcliff gush about the quality of Sebastian’s cooking, among other things, countless times in the past. Still, the demon impressed him more than he cared to admit. The fact that anyone could cook so well without any sense for how it would taste felt churlish. Or perhaps the problem lay in the fact that this was simply another thing Sebastian excelled in. That fact alone left a bitter taste in Ronald’s mouth.

He left Ciel to his own devices after their meal had concluded. He was sure Ciel had more important things to do than entertain his uninvited guest and Ronald had more important things to do than entertain an arrogant child. Then again, maybe that was preferable to what he did have to do. For in between his decadent meals and the time he spent debriefing the case he already knew intimately, Ronald hadn’t had the time to complete his daily log of his investigation. And so, Ronald Knox was once again resigned to do overtime. 

There was a small desk in Ronald’s temporary bedroom that was perfect for such an occasion. He set himself up there, and made himself as comfortable as overtime permits. The report would take an hour at most to write, but he had to word it carefully so as not to reveal the nature of his investigation. Administration really didn’t need to know that he had teamed up with a child and a demon for the duration of the case. Humiliation would be the last of his worries if they ever found out.

“Do you always work this late?”

Ronald started and whipped around. He hadn’t heard Sebastian enter, yet by the time Ronald had turned he was already approaching. Ronald’s hand darted to where he kept his knife. It would never be enough to defeat a demon, he knew that, but it could at least buy him some time. Thankfully, Sebastian didn’t seem interested in a fight.

Sebastian stepped into Ronald’s personal space, smiling as sweetly as a crocodile. Then he stopped and watched Ronald curiously, eyes glinting in the candlelight. True, he didn’t pose as an imminent threat, but his motives were unclear. Ronald remained cautious. Still, he decided it best to ignore the demon as best he could and turned his attention back to his work. He had to finish it that night, regardless of whatever Sebastian had in mind. 

“I asked you a question Ronald Knox.” 

Ronald jolted so abruptly he came dangerously close to spilling his ink. Again he hadn't heard Sebastian move but there he was, so close to his ear he could feel the faint brush of his whisper against his skin. Ronald’s heart hammered as if trying to escape and he struggled not to follow suit. Sebastian slowly slid his hand across the back of Ronald’s neck and gripped his shoulder firmly. Then, he leaned in and placed his other hand on the table, firmly wedging Ronald between his work and the demon he was becoming increasingly unable to ignore. Sebastian was so close now that Ronald ought to have been able to smell him, but aside from the scent of freshly laundered linen Sebastian might not have existed. It was, if anything, only a further reminder that there was nothing natural about him. 

Skin burning where the heat of Sebastian’s hand bore through his clothing, Ronald realised he couldn’t avoid speaking any longer. He tried to breathe deeply to disguise how affected he was by the demonic presence as he turned back to his work. 

“I have to keep a log,” he said simply, surprised at how unfazed he managed to make himself sound when every part of his body screamed form him to run, “For Admin.”

Sebastian hummed and leaned in closer for a better look at the page. As Sebastian’s chest pushed into Ronald’s back somewhere in the dimmest reaches of his memory he recalled learning that demon vision far surpassed that of a human’s, let alone a reaper’s. Sebastian could see perfectly well from where he was. Yet when Ronald shifted towards the table to allow himself more room Sebastian only leaned in closer. He slammed the book shut.

“This is classified.”

“I doubt that my master-"

“If your master has a problem he can tell me himself,” Ronald snapped. 

Sebastian laughed deeply and brought his lips right up close to Ronald’s ear. “Perhaps we can come to an arrangement.”

Ronald shoved Sebastian away and flew to his feet, ears burning and heart slamming in his chest. “Whatever that’s supposed to mean the answer is no.”

Sebastian continued to smile, but his eyes could no longer keep up the farce. He continued to watch Ronald as if waiting for him to laugh and tell Sebastian he was kidding. He didn’t.

“Most people just say yes,” he admitted. 

“Even though you’re a demon?”

“They don’t know that.”

“And a servant.” 

“It’s never proven to be a problem.”

“Then what about the fact that we’re both men?” 

Sebastian cocked his head and grinned again. “I didn’t realise you were so discerning in such matters.” 

“I’m not but-” Ronald sputtered, a flush settling on his cheeks when he realised what he was saying. “I was talking about the others!”

“You weren’t but I’ll indulge you,” Sebastian continued to grin his predatory grin, but leaned against the wall and folded his arms. Apparently a failed seduction attempt was enough grounds to drop the butler act. “I’ll admit I’m somewhat relieved. You aren’t exactly the sort I’d normally choose to pursue in my free time.”

Despite having been the one to reject Sebastian in the first place, Ronald felt a surge of resentment at his words. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a reaper for one,” Sebastian said as though it should have been the most obvious fact in the world, “And you tried to kill me. Twice.” 

“Three times actually,” Ronald retorted, hardly able to stop his own lips from twitching upwards.

“Oh,” Sebastian gave an over the top laugh so dramatic and unnecessarily long that it was clearly fake. When he was finished he wiped his eyes, just to make the act all the more tedious. “Sorry. Sorry. Only, your third attempt was so pathetic I hardly thought it right to include it.” He fixed his eyes on Ronald once more. “It felt too much like picking on the weak.”

Ronald’s smile fell. He tried as hard as he could to keep his expression neutral, but that was proving harder than it should have been. Sebastian’s company was far preferable as a stuffy butler. This Sebastian was just insufferable. 

“Okay, get out.”

“Did I hit a sore spot?”

“Oh no Sebastian darling,” Sutcliff’s nickname had the desired effect. Sebastian tensed up at once, as though it had triggered his fight or flight response. “Only if you stay any longer I might just have to turn that three into a four and maybe this time I’ll actually be victorious.”

“Don’t put on airs, we both know that’s not possible.”

“Do you want to find out? I’m sure your master would be delighted to hear you’ve been fighting his houseguest.” 

Sebastian’s face plainly put on display his internal battle as he struggled with the temptation, the prospect of the consequences, then resignation to the fact he wouldn’t be able to kill Ronald that night. Finally he sighed, pushed off against the wall and lowered his head in a stiff bow. “Very well Knox, I’ll take my leave. If you ever do reconsider your decision, you know where to find me.”

“You mean if I ever want to sleep with you in exchange for information?” 

Sebastian gave a strained smile, “I’d rather you gave the information voluntarily but by all means be crude about it.” He stalked to the door, where he hesitated, turned back to Ronald and gave him a condescending look. “By the way Knox, do try not to stay up too late. It would be a shame if you overslept.” With that he gave a final bow and slipped from the room. 

Finally Ronald let out the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. His shoulders started to shake, his breath came in panting gasps and he pressed his hand against his chest to try and still the thundering of his heart. Contending with that demon was going to be the hardest thing about this case. Ronald could no longer trust himself to sense Sebastian’s presence, to hear him approach. What would happen if Ciel decided he no longer had a use for Ronald? Would he tell him, let him go home? Or would he allow Sebastian to do as he would, to allow the demons a victory over one more reaper? He couldn’t say. There was no way to know for sure. So he had to always be on guard, to practice constant vigilance. 

After all, last thing he wanted was to become the demon’s prey.


End file.
